Protest movements over RG Kar doctor’s rape-murder disappear from Kolkata streets this Durga Puja

Kolkata: The palpable public anger that defined Durga Puja last year, following the gruesome rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s R.G Kar Medical College Hospital, has been replaced this year by resurgent scenes of gleeful pandal hopping and mass festivity, marking a striking study-in-contrast.

During last year’s Durga Puja, the streets of Kolkata saw a massive outpouring of public anger against the West Bengal government over alleged attempts to shield the masterminds behind the rape and murder of the doctor. Thousands of citizens, civil society representatives, and celebrities joined the protest movement, which had been initiated by a group of junior doctors.

However, just a year later, this year’s Durga Puja saw the return of the usual festive scenes — gleeful pandal hopping, overflowing crowds at popular food joints, and the lively tunes of songs blaring from the loudspeakers of various community Durga Puja pandals.

It appears that the memories of ‘Abhaya’ or ‘Tilotamma’ — the names assumed by the victim after the tragic incident — have faded from the minds of the people of West Bengal, including those who led last year’s protests. Not a single protest or even a candlelight march in her memory was reported anywhere in Kolkata since the beginning of this year’s Durga Puja festivals.

IANS spoke to several leaders of last year’s movements against the tragedy, and most expressed frustration over the fading impact of the campaign over the past year.

Satabdi Das of Raat Dokhol Oikko Mancha (Reclaim the Night United Forum) told IANS that they did not organise any protests during Durga Puja this year, citing a lack of public enthusiasm on the issue.

“We did not plan anything this year. People are no longer engaged with the incident, and there is hardly any enthusiasm among them. What is the point of organising a protest if the public is indifferent? Therefore, we chose not to hold any protest during this year’s Durga Puja,” Das, the convenor of the platform, told IANS.

Similar frustration was expressed by a representative of the Doctors’ Forum, which led many of last year’s protest movements. The forum also refrained from organising any activities during this year’s Durga Puja. A possible reason for the lack of engagement among doctors is assumed to be the stringent police action taken against senior doctors who participated in last year’s protests.

Last month, the Kolkata Police summoned two doctors who had been at the forefront of the 2024 agitation following the rape and murder.

Summonses have been issued to doctors such as Manas Gumta and Subarna Goswami in connection with a case registered last year at Bowbazar Police Station. Both doctors played active roles in leading protest movements against the Mamata Banerjee government last year.

Manas Gumta, former general secretary of the Association of Health Service Doctors (AHSD), West Bengal, told IANS that such police action was no reason for doctors to refrain from organising rallies and processions during this year’s Durga Puja.

This year, there is no protest in Kolkata. However, smaller protests are planned in various districts of the state on October 9. I do not believe that police action is the reason many doctors are refraining from taking to the streets over this matter; rather, it is the fading public enthusiasm,” said Gumta.

Bengali actor Badsha Moitra, who participated in last year’s protests, said that a movement naturally loses its impact over time.

“One year has passed since the incident, and understandably, the momentum of the movement has waned. However, people feel that justice was not served to Abhaya. There is frustration and anger, and a loss of faith in the investigations carried out by both the CBI and the state police. While there may be no protests in Kolkata, the public remains dissatisfied with the way justice was denied to the victim,” Moitra told IANS.

Noted painter Samir Aich suggested that there could be multiple reasons why the movement has lost momentum this year.

“Bengalis, in general, are known for reacting quickly to an incident and then moving on. Perhaps people have realised that this year’s movement will not make a difference. Despite protests, Abhaya did not receive justice, and even her parents have faced harassment from the police. Consequently, political parties are distancing themselves from the issue. For the public, this is a time for joy and celebration, and they are reluctant to discuss a matter unlikely to elicit any response,” Aich told IANS.